A Mother’s Joy

“Therefore he passed through every stage of life, restoring to each age fellowship with God…….He sanctified each stage of life by [making possible] a likeness to himself. He came to save all through his own person: all, that is, who through him are re-born to God: infants, children, boys, young men and old.
Therefore he passed through every stage of life. He was made an infant for infants, sanctifying infancy; a child among children, sanctifying childhood, and setting an example of filial affection, of righteousness and of obedience; a young man among young men, becoming an example to them, and sanctifying them to the Lord…..And thus he came even to death, that he might be ‘the first-born from the dead, having the pre-eminence among all [or in all things].”

-St. Origen*

‘Mary, did you know?’ has got to be one of the most thought provoking songs ever composed. It is quite literally a question coming from the place of amazement and meditation. There is no parallel laid out in the entire song that would suggest that there is another child being compared to the child Christ; the child’s individuality is the emphasis. The most peculiar aspect of the song is that it isn’t just talking about the birth of the Christ but it is also taking into account each and every phase the Mary went through since the time of the child’s conception.

“Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kiss the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Mary did you know

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.”

We have to remember, Mary didn’t want to get pregnant when she received the news from the angel. What’s worse is that she was engaged at the time and she also did not have an easy relationship with Joseph in the beginning because of her pregnancy. All that she had to endure during her conception, her gestation and finally her birth and raising of the child Christ alone until he matured was a heavy burden to bear. Although the Bible seems to indicate that she may have raised Jesus alone since Joseph is presumed dead in Jesus later life as a tween, she is presented as patient, wise and understanding; she is the one responsible for getting Jesus to help out with the wine issue at Cana in Galilee after all (Jesus’ first miracle).

The song asks Mary if she really saw what she held in her arms, the Great I Am. And, that all this while, if she who delivered him, knew that she would herself be delivered by the same. What is really going on here? Why recount the life of a person that the mother bore and raised…to her? Is he not her very own child? As strange as it might be, what the song seeks to do is not to recount the obvious but demonstrate the purposefulness of the Christ Child’s life coming into being to us. Through the child we, the world, came to know God fully. We benefited because one faithful woman/diligent mother accepted to do the impossible and take care of her child regardless of society’s low view of him.

She demonstrated the strength of a woman under God: Nothing intimidated her, and she did not bow to society’s will but to God’s, understanding that it was not her plan or theirs (society’s) but God’s that was ultimately going to be done. Is a child born into this world, regardless of circumstances still capable of being used by God? Yes. Is a child whose mother is strong enough and brave enough to guard and nurture him/her a great example to other women who are struggling with the same things today? Yes! Finally, is it possible for the child who doesn’t grow up in God’s will is bound to ultimately bring grief and deny his/her mother joy? Sadly, yes…but here is the hope. It can change, we do not have to put up with it, we have the power to decide.